First, Gather People! — Town-Building Starting with Debt

"June 20, Valzen Ducal Calendar Year 10, in the capital."

[POV: Baron Glen, the former common soldier]

The bag of gold coins I had borrowed from the great merchant Dario Bolani felt heavy in my grip. Yet, with an entire town to build from scratch, it was like dropping a single drop of water into a vast ocean.

"—And so, what I need first and foremost are people."

When I broached the subject, Dario gave a magnanimous nod and called out to the slender man waiting beside him. "Leo. Go along with Baron Glen here and help him manage his money."

"Huh...? Me, sir?" The man called Leo narrowed his eyes behind round spectacles in bewilderment. He looked every bit the honest, upright sort.

"The Lord Baron might be a genius on the battlefield, but when it comes to counting coin, he's a raw amateur. Leo, if your bookkeeping leads to any losses, I'll fire the two of you from the Dario Company together." Dario chuckled.

"...I will keep that firmly in mind."

And so, Leo became my very first retainer: an accountant who doubled as a watchdog for my creditor.

Next, we headed toward a cheap tavern where mercenaries gathered. Spilled liquor and the sour tang of sweat mingled across the grease-soaked floor. Amid the swirling heat of roughnecks, one particular band stood out. Leading them was a swordswoman with magnificent braided silver hair and a lithe frame clad in leather armor. This was Ilya, the captain of the Silver Wolf Mercenaries, who had recently been making quite a name for themselves in these parts.

"Well, now. So you're that Baron Glen? The one rumored to have risen straight from a low-ranking soldier." Ilya drained her cup, eyeing me as if taking my measure.

"I want you to come to my town. I need a skilled mercenary company."

"A town? I heard your territory is nothing but a wasteland. What, you want us to go till fields out there?"

The surrounding mercenaries burst into vulgar, mocking laughter.

Unfazed, I looked straight into her eyes and spoke. "No, I want you to fight. My town will eventually become the front line. I promise you won't be bored."

At my words, Ilya's raptor-like eyes glinted fiercely. "...Interesting. Don't you dare go back on that. Very well, I'll place my bet on your 'luck'!"

Next, I made my way to a shelter where refugees burned out of their homes by the recent war had gathered. Inside the dim sanctuary, the air was filled with soft weeping and bleak anxiety for the future.

After explaining the circumstances to Duke Valzen and securing permission to take them into the Helden Hills as my new subjects, I stepped onto the platform. "Everyone, listen to me! I'm Baron Glen! I'll give you a place to live, and I'll give you work!"

A stir rippled through the crowd. Before any hope could form, voices of suspicion arose.

Paying them no mind, I raised my voice. "If you follow me, I promise you'll eat until your bellies are full! If you don't believe me, that's fine! But rather than rotting away in this place, why not gamble on my words?!"

My voice echoed through the hushed sanctuary. At last, an elderly woman stood up and bowed deeply. Following her lead, the people began to lift their faces from the depths of despair, a spark of hope kindling in their eyes.

And so, bringing along Leo the accountant, the Silver Wolf Mercenaries, and about a hundred new subjects, I returned to the Helden Hills.

Building the town began with defensive works.

"We have neither the time nor the coin to build stone walls! First, dig ditches! Pile up that soil to build ramparts, and pack them solid into makeshift walls!"

Under my command, mercenaries and civilians united as one to dig out the earth and haul it.

Our dwellings were crude log cabins fashioned from timber felled in the nearby woods. Yet, there was a single structure that looked entirely out of place in such a raw settlement. It was an absurdly grand storefront and office being built under Leo's supervision.

"Hey, Leo... Why is your building the only one that looks so solid?"

(Even my own house is a log shack that looks like it'll leak whenever it rains...)

When I questioned him with a flat stare, Leo adjusted his glasses and replied with utter nonchalance. "It is only natural. One day, this place will become the commercial heart of this town. Consider it an investment in the future, Lord Baron."

"Merchants sure have money to spare..."

When I grumbled under my breath, Leo added without batting an eye. "Do not worry. The construction expenses for this have also been billed to your loan, Lord Baron. And please, be certain not to forget the interest on your debt."

That was when it happened. A mounted messenger came galloping in, bearing a personal missive from Duke Valzen.

"An urgent dispatch! From Duke Valzen to Baron Glen! In the coming days, his Grace shall march forth with the army to subjugate the remnants of Marquis Caledon! Furthermore, it has been decreed that he shall establish his headquarters right here in the Helden Hills!"

Leo and Ilya caught their breath and stared at me.

A newborn town with nothing more than ditches and earthen ramparts. And now, all of a sudden, it was to serve as the frontline base receiving a massive army.

(A trial and an opportunity, both at once...!) Sensing the gathering storm, I could not suppress a shiver of anticipation.